


Fight For Me

by Kkane88



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Fights, Light Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2020-07-19
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:20:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25385917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kkane88/pseuds/Kkane88
Summary: Based on the prompt "If you leave... I won't be here when you get back."
Relationships: J. T. Compher/Tyson Jost
Comments: 8
Kudos: 85
Collections: Discord 2





	Fight For Me

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time with this pairing! Let me know what you think!

The silence permeates the house in a way that's almost oppressive. The walls aren't used to the quiet; they've been absorbing the screaming for months, listening to every cutting word and piercing insult, the slamming doors and the quiet crying. Tyson tries to tell himself it's a relief, the silence. He can't quite make himself believe it.

"If you leave… I won't be here when you get back," he'd said to JT just half an hour before. JT had scoffed, not even looking over his shoulder as he grabbed his keys and walked out. Tyson's not sure if he hadn't believed him, or if he just really didn't care. Their traded insults bounce around in his head, things he said but didn't mean, things he _did_ mean but not the way he said them, the way JT had said _'I can't do this anymore'_ and then _left_.

Tyson had grabbed his phone without a second thought, changing his flight home to today, hardly able to see his screen through his tears. His bags were already packed, the end of the season coming at the best- or possibly worst- time. He and JT were supposed to spend the summer together, the two of them flying out to Alberta to spend time with Tyson's family, and then to go visit JT's, and then Cabo, or Greece, or London, wherever the fuck they wanted. They were supposed to fix this, have some time away from the stress of the season and the losses, of not even making it to playoffs. Tyson was excited to spend time together with just the two of them, to remind JT why they were in love, why they _worked._

But maybe they don't. Maybe he's been fooling himself into believing that he could save the last dying embers of their relationship.

He waits for JT to come home. His flight doesn't leave for a couple hours and once the heat of the moment's gone, Tyson's not ready to give this up. If JT comes home, maybe they can talk. _Really_ talk, the way they haven't for the past few months. 30 minutes pass. An hour. JT doesn't come home. Time ticks down to the moment Tyson has to leave, and JT still isn't there. He closes his eyes tight, refusing to let any more tears fall for this. His heart aches, but he can't, he _won't_ cry over someone that doesn't care about him. He keeps his eyes on the floor as he grabs his bags and makes his way out the front door, locking it behind him. He doesn't want to look at this space where their lives have become so intertwined; JT's shoes next to Tyson's, his blanket draped over the couch next to Tyson's hoodie. Sometime this summer he'll have to find a new apartment, move out, separate himself from JT piece by piece. Maybe by the time the season starts again, he'll be able to be in the same room at JT without crying or screaming or begging JT to love him. He'll be fine.

He's almost late for the flight since he had waited until the last minute to leave, but he makes it onto the plane. In the last moment before he has to turn his phone off, he sends JT a text. _I'm sorry. I love you._ And there it is. The last words of his dying relationship. JT doesn't respond by the time Tyson has to turn his phone off and Tyson takes a deep breath, knowing that as soon as the plane takes off, he's leaving all of this behind him.

He doesn't turn his phone back on when the plane lands around two hours later. He doesn't turn it back on in the cab to his mom's house, or when his mom opens the door and looks over his shoulder for someone who isn't there. He doesn't turn it on while he's crying on her couch, or when she makes him some tea and pets his hair while he chokes out an explanation for why JT isn't here.

"Oh, honey," she says, taking the mug from his hands and setting it on the coffee table. She takes his face in her hands so she has his undivided attention. "I'm sorry you're going through this. I know how much you care about him." Tyson sniffles. "Has he called since you left?" Tyson shrugs.

"I haven't turned my phone back on," he admits, pulling his phone from his back pocket. "I'm not sure if I'm ready to find out that he doesn't care that I'm gone." His mom leans back, a peculiar look on her face. Tyson can tell that she wants to say something, but he doesn't ask and she doesn’t say it.

"Why don't you just turn it on," she suggests. "I'm gonna go make some dinner, alright?" She's gone before he can answer and he sighs as he looks down at the phone. Might as well get it over with. He waits anxiously as the apple logo comes and goes and then he's staring at his background: a taunting picture of JT kissing him on the cheek. His first order of business is to get that the fuck off of his phone. Before he can get to his settings, though, text messages start popping in one after the other, all from JT. The first one came in just a few minutes after Tyson would have turned his phone off.

_I love you too. Just need some time to cool off. See you later, k?_

_Omw home._

_Where are you?_

_Tyson_

_Where the fuck are you?_

_Your stuff is gone._

_Tyson seriously where are you? I'm worried._

_Please answer me._

_Just let me know you're ok._

The last one came through just 15 minutes ago. He sends back a quick _I'm fine. At my mom's._ And then turns his phone face down, ignoring the buzzing that starts up almost immediately. He doesn't let himself think about the messages, about the way JT came home expecting Tyson to be there only to find him gone. Tyson _told_ him that if JT left, Tyson wouldn't be there when he got back. He refuses to feel guilty that he kept his word. Every time his phone buzzes he wants to see what JT's saying, wants to know if JT's yelling at him again, or begging him to come home, or maybe just saying goodbye. His fear drowns out his curiosity and he doesn't look. His phone buzzes occasionally through dinner, his mom eyeing it where it's sitting on the table next to his plate, but she doesn't say anything. It goes quiet about halfway through dinner and Tyson feels his stomach drop. He knows he shouldn't expect JT to keep trying if Tyson's not giving anything back, but he just feels better knowing that JT's thinking of him, can't get Tyson off his mind the way Tyson can't get JT off of his own.

He sits down next to his mom on the couch after dinner, not really paying attention to whatever movie she's put on. He knows she's trying to distract him and help him focus on something else, but he can't tear his thoughts away from JT. Tyson just… really thought this would work. He and JT wouldn't have even tried this if they hadn't thought it was worth it, wouldn't have risked so much to be together knowing that neither one of them were ready to be out publicly. Tyson believed that this was a forever kind of thing. He doesn't know what made them implode, what caused them to both to stop trying, but he doesn't know if it's too late to fix it.

They finally go to bed around 10. His mom has to work the next morning and Tyson's wiped out from the day he's had. He leaves his phone on the couch, still having not looked at it since he texted JT earlier. It's not like he has to set an alarm for the next day or anything. He has a few days off before he has to start his workout routine back up and he plans to do nothing but wallow for a few days. Not matter how tired he is, he can't seem to make himself fall asleep. He watches the minutes tick by on the clock, getting closer and closer to 10:30, 10:45, 11:00. He can't shut his brain off. That's why when the pounding stars on the front door, Tyson's awake to hear it. His heart starts racing instantly and he's out of bed and halfway to the door before he stops to think about it. Who's fucking pounding on his mom's door at midnight? He grabs a bat from the hall closet on his way to the door and braces himself before he swings it open.

"JT?" he shrieks once he sees who's on the other side. JT's standing there with his luggage, looking like he's here for the long haul.

"Why do you have a bat?" JT asks. Tyson looks down at the bat in his hand and leans it against the wall. He's so bewildered that JT's here that he doesn't stop him from stepping past Tyson into the house and dropping his bags in the living room.

"What are you doing here?" Tyson finally asks when he finds his voice. JT's staring at him, face blank.

"I told you I was coming," JT says. "Like, a few hours ago before I boarded the plane." Oh. Tyson looks toward where his phone is still untouched on the couch. "You didn't get my message." It's not a question, but Tyson shakes his head anyway. Suddenly, JT looks unsure, his shoulders hunching in on himself. Tyson's stepping toward him before he can think about it, wrapping a hand around his wrist.

"I thought we broke up," Tyson tells him. "I just didn't expect you to come here."

"Why would you think we broke up?" JT brings a hand up and rests it on the back of Tyson's neck and Tyson relaxes into the touch. "I know things haven't been… great recently, but we love each other, right?"

"You said you couldn't do this anymore and I told you if you left I was leaving and you left anyway!" It bursts out of Tyson's mouth before he can stop it. "I don't really see how there's another way to interpret that."

"I meant I couldn't do the arguing anymore!" JT takes a step closer until Tyson looks up and meets his eyes. "It's really sucked, and I know it's been bad for you, too. I guess I didn't really think you would leave."

"I waited for a few hours," Tyson admits. "But you didn't come back so I thought that was what you wanted." JT leans close and presses a kiss to Tyson's forehead, dropping his arm from Tyson's neck to circle around his waist. Tyson lets his own hands come up to rest on JT's shoulders. "We haven't really talked about this. I'm tired of fighting with you all the time."

"Me too," JT agrees. "Maybe I should've let us have some time apart instead of hopping on a plane." Tyson's hands involuntarily clench in JT's shirt and JT smiles at him. "Or maybe not."

"I'm glad you're here," Tyson says. "I don't really wanna spend time apart. I feel like that's all we've _been_ doing. Like we've been living together but we haven't _been_ together, you know?"

"I've been looking forward to spending the summer with you," JT says, and there's really nothing Tyson can do except kiss him. JT melts into it and they stand there in his mother's living room just clutching each other like they'll never let go again.

That is, until someone pointedly clears their throat behind JT. They both turn to see Tyson's mom standing nearby with a grin. "While I'm absolutely thrilled that you two are making up," she starts, "I'm less thrilled that you're making out in my living room." JT flushes down to his toes, but Tyson laughs. "Go to bed, eh?" she says. "And do me a favor, keep the noise to a minimum!"

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on tumblr:  
> [kkane88](https://kkane88.tumblr.com/)  
> [kwriteshockey](https://kwriteshockey.tumblr.com//)


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